Xiao Qing couldn't help but urge, "Miss, this is too risky. If you press all your men to the mountain, the area below will be empty. What if..."
Liu Rumei smiled faintly, "There is no 'what if'..."
After speaking, she turned to look at True Person Taiping, "Senior, I ask you to hold the fort here for me, and I will go to the mountain."
True Person Taiping shook his head, "Miss Liu, what you said is wrong. You are still young and can do many things for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the future. I am an old man, and besides guarding the dragon脉, I can't help with anything else. Let me go."
Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong exchanged glances, and almost simultaneously stepped forward, "Miss, True Person, you two stay here to guard, and we will go up the mountain to help Chief Chen."
Seeing this, Liu Rumei's heart warmed. She stood up and looked at Xiao Qing, then at Xiao Hong, "After you go, follow Zhang Qian's orders. Be sure to protect Chen Xiaobei. He is innocent. Involving him in this matter is already our fault. If anything else happens, we won't be able to explain it to Cui Hongyu."
Listening to Liu Rumei's words, True Person Taiping, who was beside her, nodded incessantly.
"Since Miss Liu is sending her maids, I will also send Laifu. One more person means one more strength."
"If you do that, you won't have anyone to serve you," Liu Rumei objected again.
True Person Taiping laughed heartily, "Isn't Miss Liu the same?"
Alright.
The next morning, Hetou Village was as lively as a fair. Chen Dachun organized a transport team of over forty people, fully stocked with food, drinks, and supplies, ready to head for the mountain.
Liu Rumei also mobilized more than a dozen reinforcements, who, along with Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong, rushed to Chen Xiaobei's aid.
The most striking figure in the crowd was Huang Ying, her yellow dress and tall stature making her particularly conspicuous.
Liu Rumei was very surprised. She came to Cui Hongyu and asked in a low voice, "Sister Hongyu, why did you let the teacher go up the mountain?"
Cui Hongyu's expression was calm, "Huang Ying and I are like sisters. She knows martial arts and can help Chen Xiaobei on the mountain. If I went, I would only be a burden."
Hearing Cui Hongyu's casual words, Liu Rumei suddenly felt a pang of bitterness.
She suddenly envied Huang Ying and Cui Hongyu, who could go to the mountain as they pleased. Whether it was for love or loyalty.
As for herself, she had too many ties, and sometimes she was truly helpless.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere on Qingniu Mountain had suddenly become tense.
Master Jueding and Sima Wushuang had led their men for an entire night, and as dawn broke, they were not far from the steep slope.
Zhang Qian was experienced. He had hidden sentries in the woods beforehand. Seeing people approaching from afar, they immediately let out a series of bird calls, signaling that people were coming.
"Brother Xiaobei, someone is coming."
Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaobei's bloodshot eyes immediately widened. He said to everyone present, "Don't reveal yourselves. Wait until they start climbing, then use the repeating crossbows."
Zhang Qian nodded and pointed to the well-laid rope in front of them, "Everyone watch this rope. When the rope starts to move, it means someone is climbing. Wait for my command, then charge out and attack." Sudancd.com
The people present prepared their repeating crossbows and hid behind the rocks, silently waiting for that moment.
At the front, leading the way, were Sun Jian and Shi Gang and others.
They reached the bottom of the steep slope and couldn't help but laugh when they saw the rope, "Like stray dogs, they didn't even have time to retrieve the rope. This saves us effort."
Sun Jian turned back to look at Sima Wushuang, who was not far away. A thought struck him, and he scurried back to report, "Great Hero Sima, the rope is ready. The brothers have been running all night and are tired. Shall we eat something before we proceed?"
Sima Wushuang did not make a decision immediately. He turned to look at Master Jueding.
Master Jueding laughed heartily and pointed to the steep slope in the distance.
"It's only a few zhang high. We can still eat after we climb up. You go up first and lower more ropes."
Sun Jian then scurried back again.
"Brothers, we will eat after we climb over this steep slope."
Chen Xiaobei, standing on the slope, heard clearly and cursed Sun Jian inwardly, "Sun Jian, Sun Jian, I'll have you 'eat' first."
Soon, he saw the rope begin to move.
This indicated that someone was starting to climb.
Zhang Qian inwardly calculated. At a height of a few zhang, even with Master Jueding's superb Qinggong, it would take more than ten blinks of an eye.
After silently counting to five or six, he was about to wave when Chen Xiaobei stopped him.
Chen Xiaobei knew that with only one rope, the other side could only send one person up at a time. He was gambling. If Sun Jian was the one who came up, he wanted to kill Sun Jian with his own hands to avenge Lidong.
Everything went as he wished. The first to come up was indeed Sun Jian.
Sun Jian had just exposed half his body and was reaching out to grab a protruding stone when he suddenly saw a face appear in front of him. It was Chen Xiaobei.
Upon seeing Chen Xiaobei, Sun Jian was stunned. "Ah, Xiao..."
Before the word "Bei" could be spoken, he saw the repeating crossbow in Chen Xiaobei's hand.
"Brother, you..."
Before his voice fell, Chen Xiaobei had already pulled the trigger. Bang bang bang bang bang, Chen Xiaobei unleashed all ten arrows.
Sun Jian had no time to dodge. He was hit by several arrows in the face, body, and forehead.
His face was filled with surprise, and he raised his hand to point forward, "Why..."
Chen Xiaobei let out a cold snort, "You know who you killed yesterday."
Sun Jian's body stiffened, and he fell backward, his face to the sky. He probably didn't hear Chen Xiaobei's words.
Seeing this, Zhang Qian waved his hand.
More than a dozen people instantly swarmed forward, holding repeating crossbows and aiming at the steep slope. A barrage of shots was fired at the people below.
Sima Wushuang and Master Jueding reacted quickly enough. The moment Chen Xiaobei pulled the trigger, they began to retreat. By the time Zhang Qian's men started their barrage, they had already retreated more than ten zhang.
They had escaped, but the twenty or thirty people they had brought with them lost half their numbers in the barrage.
Watching the two escape, Zhang Qian stomped his foot in anger, "Alas, Brother Xiaobei, you..."
He looked at Chen Xiaobei, who was in tears, and Zhang Qian couldn't bear to scold him further.
After all, killing Sun Jian was to avenge the villagers and fulfill Chen Xiaobei's wish.
Sima Wushuang and Master Jueding, with their remaining subordinates, ran four or five li before daring to stop and catch their breath.
The two looked at each other, their faces full of bitterness.
Sima Wushuang took out the map presented by Sun Jian from his懷, looked at it repeatedly, and sighed after reading it.
Master Jueding took it over. After reading it, he also felt extremely dejected.
However, he understood very well that if he lost confidence, these people would be even more desperate. Therefore, he forced a smile and said.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. We can go back to the mountaintop. Can the vast Qingniu Mountain only have one escape route?"